Baby deer found lying next to dead mother rescued in Brevard County

MIMS, Fla. – With the help of some rescuers, a fawn that was found next to his dead mother now has a good chance at survival.

Crystene Prokop, the rescue team captain at Wild Florida Rescue, said a person driving on State Road 46 in Mims saw the fawn on March 29 and stopped to help. The baby’s mother had been hit by a car and the fawn refused to leave her side.

That person then contacted Wild Florida Rescue for help.

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Prokop said the baby was likely only about a week old and seemed dehydrated and thin. Fawns that young are trained to stay by their mothers so without intervention, he could have met an unfortunate fate.

“He probably would have been hit by a car or starved to death,” Prokop said.

Now, the deer, which doesn’t have a name so rescuers don’t get too attached, is recovering with a surrogate mother at Creature Safe Place, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Fort Pierce.

So far, he’s doing well and when the time comes, he’ll be released back into the wild, likely in the area outside the center so he doesn’t have to be transported.

Prokop said the person who spotted the fawn did the right thing by intervening in this case, since he could see the mother had died, but she also cautioned that sometimes a fawn may appear orphaned when really its mother is nearby.

“If you see a fawn that’s alone don’t automatically assume it’s orphaned. Mothers often leave their young out in the open during the day in order to deter predators. If you see a fawn that’s ears are curled, there is a good chance it’s orphaned. Ear curling is a sign of dehydration,” she said.

She said Wild Florida Rescue saves about four or five fawns each year in Brevard County and said anyone who encounters in danger wildlife in the area can call the rescue at 321-821-7881. She also suggested contacting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for help.

She reminded drivers to be cautious and alert to avoid creating situations like this one.

“Just watching when you’re driving, obviously pay attention, try to slow down and not hit animals,” Prokop said.

Although the baby had a sad start to his life, Prokop is glad he’s now in good hands and on the road to recovery.

“We are very excited (for him). That’s why we do what we do,” she said.

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